Month of SasuSaku
by halfkyuubikat
Summary: My multiple submissions involved in SasuSaku Month. A mixture of cute, dark, happy, and sad fics in the form of drabbles and one-shots. Enjoy! Ratings Vary.
1. Meet the Extended Family

_**Meet the Extended Family – Fanfiction  
><strong>_**Title: **Meet the Extended Family  
><strong>Summary: <strong>"What are you so desperate for? What do you need to prove?" His family might be arrogant and they may have expected him to marry what they believed was an acceptable wife, but Sasuke had known long ago that Sakura was perfect for him.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto  
><strong>Theme:<strong> AU  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> "What are you so desperate for?"  
><strong>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction  
><strong>Rating:<strong> K+  
><strong>Warning(s):<strong> Beware the cuteness?  
><strong>Comments:<strong> So this is the first submission involved in SasuSaku Month. Day 1 right off the bat! Yosh! Now onto the drabble (please note, my definition of a drabble is 500 to 2,000 words...) I would like to say that yes, I do realize I have not updated my stories in a long while. I am working on them, slowly and truely. I want to thank you all for your patience in waiting and hope that you can wait a tiny bit longer before I post one of my works (The Only will most likely be finished first). Until then enjoy a month of SasuSaku goodness. Most of these updates are T rated and under. The few that are rated M do not have lemons and are rated for violence and innuendos more than anything. Thus I decided to post this as a 'T' rated story.

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><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku Month_ **XxX**

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat_ **XxX**

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_Meet the Extended Family_

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><p>She was dully strumming her nails across the table. There was no destinct pattern to the clinking noise and she herself did not seem to notice the small habit. Her fingers just constantly twitched up and down as she tapped her fingers again and again against the wood; all the while she stared at the corner of the hotel room that was barren to any decorations or furniture.<p>

Sasuke however did notice.

He watched her face set into a frown and her plump pink lips set into a firm line as she stared at nothing.

It was obvious to him that she was upset no matter how much she had denied the fact on the drive to the hotel; Sasuke had been lucky to have gotten a room at the four star resort without a reservation months in advance. That was one of the joys he supposed of being one of the in-famous Uchiha, although just moments before his hasty call to the hotel's manager, the horrors of being one of the those same Uchiha had also been proven. And Sakura by no means was dealing with the situation happily.

He was certain if he had not been able to find a hotel with an open room for the night, Sakura would have insisted that they sleep in Sasuke's mustang as a last resort. She was _that_ upset about everything.

And by all means she had every right to be, but her displeased expressions and trembling lips did not suite well with Sasuke. His heart always clenched too tightly when he saw her tears and he knew already the girl would always have him wrapped around her finger no matter how much he argued about not being "whipped" to Naruto. Sakura was bewitching by all means. So when her forest green eyes started to become moist with the formation of tears, he had enough with her pouting.

"Sakura."

She immediately turned her attention to him, a lone tear slipping down her cheek. Sasuke tensed in response, realizing he would more than likely be dealing with water works the rest of the night.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun," she whimpered.

"Stop crying," Sasuke bit out in what he realized immediately was an overly harsh tone. Although he regretted the words and expected Sakura to lapse further into her sorrow, she surprised him instead.

"I'm not crying." She placed the sleeve of her shirt against her face, quietly rubbing away any trace of her tears. "I'm not crying," she repeated once she was done. Her glazed emerald eyes stared into his onyx ones for a time afterword, while neither of them spoke further. Sasuke realized with slight frustration that Sakura was not going to start the inevitable talk they had to have.

He opened his mouth for a moment and then shut it closed again. Silence continued between them and Sasuke noticed with dread that Sakura's eyes were beginning to tear up again. With a frustrated grunt, Sasuke disregarded any words he had plotted in his head and instead opted to reach around the table and grab Sakura's wrist. He gave it a small tug toward him.

Sakura did not hesitate in getting up from the chair, knocking it over in her haste, before she all but leaped into his arms. Her face immediately buried itself into his neck, while she awkwardly straddled him due to the armrests in the chair and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Sasuke's own arms gently held her to him as he felt hot moisture form against his neck and run down into the shirt he had specifically worn for today.

He let out a small sigh and placed his chin atop Sakura's head, deciding to wait out the pinkette's tears and just hold her in the meantime.

It took a few minutes before she grew silent against him, her quiet sobs calmed. He was about to attempt talking again when to his relief Sakura spoke.

"W-Why?" she asked in a hoarse voice. If it had not been for Sasuke's trained ear he wouldn't have even realized she had spoken. She lifted her head up from his neck and stared directly at him.

"Why don't they like me?"

Sasuke did not reply to her question, because in all honesty he had no answer to his family's actions earlier today. The rude and arrogant attitudes of the members of Sasuke's extended family were people he had grown accustomed to and while the Uchiha were well known for their pride, there was always a warm family mood when they all gathered together. He had expected no difference when he brought Sakura along this time.

And yet, the moment the newly engaged couple had entered the house, the usually warm air surrounding his Clan had taken a much stiffer turn. Although some of his cousins had welcomed him in, they blatantly ignored Sakura. The day only got worse from there.

It was only a matter of three hours until Sasuke had lost his temper and had announced he and his fiancée would not be spending the night at one of the houses like the rest of the family and would instead be staying at a nearby hotel. At this point he had no plans on staying in town for the rest of the family reunion.

"Your parents like me Sasuke! Itachi-san likes me! Why was everyone else so cruel to me?" As she waited dully for the answer he couldn't give, she lifted her sleeve up to her face once again as a small sniffle escaped her throat. Sasuke pushed away her arm softly and cupped her face in his hands while he used the pad of his thumbs to stroke away the dampness under her eyes.

"I'm sorry Sakura." He said quietly before adding, "We don't have to go back."

She laughed quietly before leaning her cheek into his palm, her eye lids closing in pleasure at the soft strokes of his fingers. "I bet none of them will be willing to come to the wedding," she added quietly.

"We can elope."

A pair of green orbs flashed open at his statement.

"What?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders in disinterest. "We don't need my entire family there for the wedding. We can just have a small wedding with a few friends and our parents or just go before a Judge and sign the papers. I don't need anyone to be there to watch us; I know my choice."

"Wha-What about Mikoto?"

Sasuke scoffed at her weak question. "My mother can survive without planning a glorious wedding for us, besides you saw her today. She probably would support the idea of elopement if we brought it up; she was livid at her brother and sister for...today."

Sakura did not speak immediately afterwards and Sasuke knew she was mulling over his suggestion. He didn't have any doubts that she would eventually agree to his idea. That was however before he felt her hand roughly pull his own away from her face. Confused, he watched her lips twitch before she was suddenly off his lap with her hands clenched at her sides. Her previously solemn eyes were alight with the fire of anger.

"No," she snarled out between clenched teeth. "We will not be eloping! I will not be chased away by your family Sasuke! We won't be going home either! I refuse to be shamed into solitude by them! We will spend the rest of the reunion here and we will let Mikoto plan the wedding like she wanted and everyone in both our families will attend! I'm not going to just let them— l-let them...let them drive me into a corner! I refuse!"

"Sakura..."

"I will not let them make us marry like cowards Sasuke! I can't!" Her final shriek, left her cheeks flushed a deep red and her breath coming in deep pants. He could feel the ways of distress rolling off.

"What are you so desperate for? What do you want to prove? It doesn't matt—"

"It does! It does matter!"

"Sakura, you—"

"They're going to be my family too! I don't want to spend the rest of my life as the in-law that everyone hates! I don't want them to hate me! ...I-I I'll make them like me, I'll make them change their opinion of me..."

And somehow Sasuke knew that she could do it. His family might be arrogant and they may have expected him to marry what they believed was an acceptable wife, but they were also ones to notice the kindness and talent that others possessed. If they were willing to take the time to get to know her, Sasuke knew they would accept her. It was just that Sakura needed to be strong enough to get pass their initial barrier. That too Sasuke knew that she was more than strong enough to do.

It was her strength that had been able to get passed his barriers and almost none can earn in their lifetime. His love.

Sasuke knew his blossom could make all his seemingly unyielding relatives change their opinion of her.

"The Uchiha are stubborn Saku—"

"Are you trying to say I can't make them like me?" Sakura hissed. Sasuke immediately cursed himself for his choice of words.

"No, I—"

"They **will** like me! Every. Last. One of them!"

And if Sakura had not looked at him with such a fiercely determined gaze while her teeth ground together in her rage, Sasuke would have laughed at the situation.

Because if the Uchiha family had just overlooked the pink hair, soft eyes, and petite stature that his lovely fiancée was born with, they would have found the strong, prideful, and brilliant woman they believed Sasuke deserved as a wife. They would have realized that by all means Sakura was a woman worthy of the Uchiha name, because she could probably make most of the stoic men in the family quake in their boots from fear of her temper.

And so as his lips twitch upwards into his trademark smirk, he knew that tomorrow they would not be hiding in their hotel room while the traditional family reunion of the Uchiha Clan took place. No, instead he was sure Sakura would be dragging him around and making sure that during the next two days, all his grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and distant relatives made sure they knew she was not going anywhere.

And that was exactly the way Sasuke wanted it to be.

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><p>And there we are. Just a note that this is a drabble...just a rather long one. :) Those who have read my works before know I like my long chapters :)<p>

**Alternative Universe:** Sasuke's entire family is alive and Sasuke used the word "whipped." (Enough said)

"**What are you so desperate for":** Did you not see that line in the story? Cause yeah...it was there. :)

Hope you enjoyed!

~Kyuu-chan


	2. The Dark One

**Title: **The Dark One  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Star Wars themed; "They say I need to leave you!" Suddenly his desperate kiss made so much sense.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto  
><strong>Theme:<strong> AU  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> Manipulate  
><strong>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Warning(s):<strong> A yummy make-out scene and one or two swears.  
><strong>Comments:<strong> Day 2 and another drabble! I know this is similar to the Padmé and Anakin story, but there are key differences. I read up on a bunch of star wars stuff before I wrote this, so I assure you that the material is correct...as long as Wookieepedia didn't lie. And does anyone else giggle at the idea of Sasuke and Naruto with the padawan hair cut?

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><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku Month_ **XxX**

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat_ **XxX**

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_The Dark One_

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><p>Slipping her arms into the sleeves of the navy robe, Sakura finished dressing in preparation for bed. With a quick yawn, she moved behind the screen and stepped into the main room, heading straight for her bed. Even in her sluggish state, she moved with grace that had been acquired after the years she had been spent being raised as a child of high society among the supporters of the Republic.<p>

Just as she reached the edge of the mattress, she paused for a moment, a small feeling in the pit of her stomach warning her to check the surroundings in her room before she slept. Wearily she glanced across the various objects in the room, her eyes lingering at the shadows in the corner of the room, knowing well that it was always in the shadows where threats hide in wait. Her eyes drifted toward the large glass windows that led to her pavilion and she watched for a moment as various vehicles soared through the still air of Coruscant. Her green eyes stayed there for only a moment before she turned to her bed and began folding back the blankets.

Suddenly she was drawn backwards into the heat of another body. Her own body immediately tensed at the contact and a shriek of panic left her lips as she slammed her elbow backwards to hit her assailant. There came a grunt of pain from behind her, but the arms didn't remove themselves from her waist, instead they only seemed to hold onto her tighter.

A shiver ran down her spine as she felt heavy breaths against the back of her neck. Heat traveled down Sakura's body; only one person could make her react in such a way.

She looked over her shoulder to confirm her attacker's identity and immediately she recognized the pale complexion and dark features of the man standing behind her. His lips moved and her name slipped from his mouth.

"Sakura."

She smiled for a moment, happy with his presence and receiving the warm sensation he brought to her every time he spoke her name. However her smile turned to a frown and she forced her expression into a scowl despite the wild thumping of her heart.

"Sasuke," she wailed, "don't sneak up on me; I hate that!" His skills had long since matured to the point he could enter or exit any room undetected. Taking note that he was still dressed in his traditional black robes, she concluded that he had traveled straight from the Temple to her home. And while she was happy to see him after so many weeks, the danger of his actions caused her to worry about his behavior.

He usually wasn't so careless, even after being separated for so long.

"Aa," came the usual grunted reply as his lips began to caress the underside of her chin.

Turning around in his arms Sakura finally faced Sasuke directly, the frown still present on her face. However not being able to stop herself, the fake scowl vanished and was replaced by one of her smiles, a smile only reserved for him. A heated look crossed his face and Sakura watched with a giddy air surrounding her as he leaned down to kiss her.

His lips crushed hers in a frenzied kiss. There was no hesitation and no tenderness involved, just the sheer raw power of their desire for each other.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she threaded her fingers through the silky confines of his hair, enjoying the feeling of the spiky ends of the raven strands against her skin. She was happy that the short and clean style from his padawan days had been grown out once again to the style that reminded Sakura of their childhood.

She titled her head to the side allowing him better access into the confines of her mouth and his tongue met hers eagerly. Liquid heat pooled in her stomach and she pushed herself closer to Sasuke's body until there was no gap between them.

There was a desperate edge in the way his lips met hers and the way he pulled at her bottom lip with his teeth. For every moan and sigh that she released, Sasuke kissed her with more impetuosity as he cupped her face to his.

Finally she forced their lips apart, unable to continue without a breath of air. A thin line of saliva connected their mouths and with another upturn of her lips Sakura wiped it away before returning her hand into the roots of Sasuke's hair.

Burying her head into her lover's shoulder, she allowed the peace at his return to flow around her. "I missed you," Sakura whispered. There came no reply, but she was not bothered by Sasuke's usual lack of vocabulary.

"They know."

With those two words, Sasuke shattered her entire world.

"W-What?" She gasped despite knowing immediately what he meant. She pulled away from his chest and looked straight into his eyes. Her arms dropped numbly to her sides. Her eyes began to water in horror and guilt wrenched itself into the pit of her stomach.

"Sa-Sasuke...did they—what happened?"

"They discovered our relationship," he said simply.

His face was vacant of emotion and he did not seem distressed at all about what he had just said. He looked as if he had not just told her that his lively hood was destroyed; that his world was not just ripped to pieces. He looked so impassive.

That frightened her most.

"They are allowing me to remain a Jedi. Naruto and Kakashi convinced the Council to not revoke my position as a Knight." He stated with an eerily stoic voice.

She couldn't believe it. Her mouth opened in shock, but it soon spread into a smile of genuine joy. The earlier tears disappeared as Sakura inwardly thanked Naruto over and over again. She should have known that if one person could make the Jedi High Council decide to not remove Sasuke, it was Naruto.

"That's wonderful!" she whispered as the smile stretched across the entirety of her face. Sasuke did not respond instantly, but instead Sakura watched as his mask vanished to be replaced by the hard lines across his face. The corner of his lip twitched in the way it always did when Sasuke's anger overtook him.

"No, it's not." He spat out with plain fury written across all his features.

"They are allowing me to remain a Jedi not for any reason other than the fact that since _Naruto_," he spat the name with such venom that Sakura flinched; hearing him say their closest friend's name with that much anger left her in shock, "is so fucking perfect and worshiped by all those useless fools, they would make sure they don't do anything to upset him. So if he wants me to stay, I should have to stay."

"Sasuke..." Sakura began, but was cut off when Sasuke roughly grabbed her wrist and shoulder.

"There is nothing good about remaining there! _Nothing_!"

"Sas—"

"They say my fear is eating at me. That I'll soon be controlled by it! They say I need to let go of my pain! That I need to forget the past! They told me I'll be manipulated to the Dark side of the Force if I continue this way and that my fear of loss will destroy me!"

His grip on her wrist tightened further and Sakura had to bite the inside of her lip to keep herself from letting out any indication of pain. She reached with her free hand to try and pry his steel grip away from her wrist, but immediately she found both hands trapped in his grasp. Fear pulsed in her veins as the crushing force of his grip caused a whimper to leave her lips.

"They say I need to leave you! That I HAVE to leave you!"

The words left his lips in a hissed rush and Sakura recoiled from their meaning. She forgot about the fear, about the pain, about everything and only focused on what previous words had been spoken. He was _leaving_ her behind. He was leaving her for the way of the Jedi. She had always known that it would end like this… that they would not be able to stay together when the ways of their society and the way of the Jedi banned it from occurring.

Suddenly his desperate kiss made so much more sense.

Shealways **knew**. It didn't make it bearable.

Tears filled her eyes and with a choked back sob, she once again attempted to remove herself from Sasuke's vice grip, unable to be within his arms when their personal end came. After releasing another whimper of pain, Sasuke tensed briefly before loosening his hold on her, however he did not release her completely. Unable to look at him, Sakura turned her attention to the floor. A silence stretched out before them.

"But I won't do that. I won't lose you," he suddenly bit out. His free hand grabbed her chin and titled it forward so she was forced to look straight at his beautiful face. His expression was along the lines of pain and it made Sakura's heart clench. She lifted her gaze to meet his.

"I can't lose you," he whispered.

The eyes that stared back were dark and cold, but they held her heart all the same.

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><p><strong>Alternate Universe: <strong>Star Wars b1tches!

**Manipulate:** Sasuke was controlled by his fear of losing another important person (a common idea/plot with him; just in a different world with different rules :D )

**Background:** Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were childhood friends that once lived on the now war-ridden planet of Konoha. Sasuke and Naruto became Jedi apprentices after the past 'incident'; Kakashi helping them as a member of the Jedi Council. Sakura however, after the past 'incident' was raised by Senator Haruno. The three would only meet again at the age of 20. Sakura and Sasuke would soon begin a forbidden relationship. The scene takes place on Coruscant.

See you soon!

~Kyuu-chan


	3. Time and Time Again

**Title: **Time and Time Again  
><strong>Summary: <strong>(Story) Sasuke was afraid of change. Change had taken away his caring brother. Change had ruined his relationship with his father. Change had left him withered and alone. So when one of his closest friends tells him that she wants the relationship between them to change, it is only natural his reaction is to make sure she understands that nothing could be different between them.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto  
><strong>Theme:<strong> AU  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> Change  
><strong>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Warning(s):<strong> I believe the cuteness is back...beware its might! Really, you'll be gagging by the time this is over.  
><strong>Comments:<strong> Day 3 and the first story! (Stories are 2,000 to 5,000 words long) This will be my last update for Week 1, so I'll be seeing you guys again for Week 2. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku Month_ **XxX**

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat_ **XxX**

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_Time and Time Again_

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><p><em>He heard her call his name. When he turned to look, she wore the same ecstatic smile on her face that she had been using in front of him for years. She waved at him from the entryway of the classroom, and he mentally scoffed at her behavior and her always hyper attitude—she sometimes was as bad as Naruto.<em>

"_Sasuke-kun!" She called again. _

_He did not vocally answer her, only nodded in her direction and then looked outside the widow once again. He heard the patter of her steps as she entered the room and the thumping and screeching of metal as she undoubtedly ran into one of the desks. With her cry of "ow," he tried hard not to turn to see what his clumsy friend had done this time. There were more cluttering and screeching noises followed by a curse._

_Sasuke smirked._

"_Sasuke-kun!" she repeated as she slammed her hands on his desk._

"_Aa," he grunted, knowing just all too well that Sakura would let out a huff of air in response to his casual reply. She did._

"_Sasuke-kuuunnnn," she whined loudly causing Sasuke to roll his eyes in return, "why are up here all by yourself? Naruto said that you wanted to be alone to be emo and that you weren't going to come to the fair no matter what, that isn't true is it?"_

"_I'm not emo."_

_Sakura's bell-like laugh filled the room._

"_Not that silly! I know you're not emo, I meant the rest of it."_

"_Hn."_

"_Ugh! You're so stupid sometimes!"_

"_I'm not stu—"_

_Sakura punched him 'lightly' is his arm, causing Sasuke to hiss and Sakura to apologize and mutter about her strength and abnormalities. Sasuke tried his hardest to not smile in response. Sakura didn't speak again for a while and instead sat in the desk before him, straddling the chair so she faced him. After a few short moments, another one of her smiles appeared. _

"_Aren't you going back to the fair?" Sasuke asked, figuring his avoidance to her question was an obvious enough 'no' for her to figure out._

"_Nah, I'll sit with you for a little bit."_

_Sasuke nodded and turned to look back out the window to watch the fair take place below. Sakura did not speak for a long time and when her voice finally broke the warm silence between them, he was surprised to find it not her usual loud tone. Instead there was a small tremble to it as she stuttered like Hinata does._

"_U-Uh, S-Sasuke-kun, there is something I want to tell you. I'm—u-uh, I mean is that all right with you? I-I mean if I tell you something."_

_Sasuke turned to see her cheeks flamed and that even the tips of her ears had taken a reddish tint to them. _

"_Just spit it out," Sasuke said._

"_O-Okay, I-I...You know I really care about you."_

_Sasuke's own face heated for the briefest of moments, but he ignored his response and reminded himself that Sakura and he had been friends for a long time. They had grown very close to each other and although he could never admit it out loud, Sakura was his important friend and he cared for her too. _

"_I know." Sasuke said, turning to look away from the pinkette to look out the window again._

"_N-No!" She shouted and Sasuke turned to her in surprise. Her emerald eyes seemed to glisten in the overhead lights._

"_I-I'm mean, I don't think you do...I don't think you understand," she whispered._

"_Wha—"_

"_I-I really love you, Sasuke-kun."_

_Her face flushed a darker red and she stared down at the desk between them in embarrassment. _

_And for a moment Sasuke looked at her and imagined what Sakura meant with her words. He imagined the type of world where Sakura and he were no longer just neighbors, a world where they meant more to each other than childhood friends. He imagined holding her hand in the hallway, hugging her before class, and kissing her pink lips every day. And for just that moment, Sasuke felt his heart beat harder in his chest at the thought._

_But then his stomach twisted in pain and his mind cleared of all delusions he had created. He was brought back to reality. To his reality._

_Change only brought pain._

_Sakura had been one of his closest friends for years. She had been by his side since their parents had introduced them as kids. She was a very important person to him._

_Sasuke knew that if their relationship changed, if he allowed them to change their relationship, then just like all the other changes in his life he would get pain in return.__ Change had taken away his caring brother. Change had ruined his relationship with his father. Change had left him withered and alone. _

_He wouldn't let it hurt Sakura and him too._

"_I'm sorry Sakura."_

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><p>"Now I want everyone to stay safe, which means that you'll be using the buddy system and stay together! No swimming by yourselves and no leaving the area without a teacher's permission!"<p>

"Iruka-sensei! We are teenagers! We are practically adults!" Naruto wailed in protest.

"You are thirteen years old Naruto, and personally you have a long way to go before your anywhere close to being 'practically an adult.'"

"Ah come on—"

"No whining!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blonde and started to tread through the hot sand, intent on finding a spot to put his stuff down in the crowded beach. The class field trip had everyone excited, but Sasuke just wanted to get away from the loud group who wouldn't shut up for the life of them.

After narrowly avoiding a group of teenage girls who seemed to drool after the young boy, Sasuke found a large enough area to toss his stuff to the ground. With a heavy sigh, he was just about to sit down when another body slammed into him.

"Nice job finding a spot teme!"

With a groan of pain, Sasuke threw Naruto off him and watched with glee when the blonde fell to the sand below. "Hey!" Naruto's protest went unheard because with bitter resentment, Sasuke realized his entire class had overrun the place he had sought out for himself. So long for his peace and solitude.

"Hey! Who wants to go swimming!" Kiba chipped in, his stupid dog Akamaru having been safely hidden from the teachers was peaking it's head from under his hoody. Why the boy was wearing a hoody at the beach was a mystery to everyone. However despite his attire, a bunch of people agreed and started to head out.

"Let's go Sasuke!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm and began tugging him toward where the rest of the group had gone. Snorting at the boy's actions, Sasuke roughly yanked his arm out of his friend's grasp. He had no plans of spending his time with a bunch of rowdy kids and was determined to avoid everyone for as long as possible. He didn't even want to be on this stupid field trip.

"I'm not going," Sasuke growled and started to trudge away from the annoying menace.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to hang out with you."

"But you're my buddy!" Naruto wailed as he threw his arms into a vice grip around Sasuke. "Don't leave me! I'll get in trouble with Iruka-sensei!"

Sasuke scoffed and brutally pushed Naruto away from him. He expected Naruto to put up a fight or at least to whine about Sasuke's harsh treatment, but instead he kept staring at something behind Sasuke's shoulder.

"Wow," Naruto gasped.

Curious, Sasuke turned to see what had caught Naruto's attention. Not to his surprise he saw Sakura as she neatly placed her towel on the last available space that wasn't covered in people's junk. When she stood up, Sasuke realized the reason for Naruto's gasp. The pinkette was wearing a red bikini decorated with frills and ribbons that enhanced her budding womanly features. Seeing the two boys, she immediately flashed her white teeth in a pretty smile. She skipped toward them happily and Sasuke realized that her bottoms barely counted as fabric.

"Hey guys, what are you doing?"

Naruto recollected himself and cheerfully responded.

"Me and Sasuke are going swimming!"

Sasuke glared at him in annoyance.

"You wanna come too Sakura-chan?"

Sakura smiled and tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. It was a strained smile and Sasuke stiffened when he realized it was forced. It didn't take long for him to realize that Sakura was going to say no to Naruto's invitation.

"No thanks. Ino and I are going to build a sand castle."

Guilt prickled under Sasuke's skin.

"Oh okay then! See ya later Sakura-chan." Naruto grabbed his arm and once again dragged Sasuke toward the ocean. Despite Sasuke's attempts to rid himself of the pest, Naruto held strong. Frustrated, Sasuke realized he was going to have to be with the idiot all day if Iruka held true to the 'buddy system.'

"Bye Naruto! Bye Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke turned to see Sakura frantically waving her hand in the air. She was still waving goodbye when Sasuke lost sight of her in the crowd.

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><p><em>It was awkward between them now. Sakura would not look at him in the eyes anymore. She was rarely ever near him and never when it was just the two of them. She spent more time with Ino then with Naruto and Sasuke. <em>

_He found it frustrating._

_When he had rejected her confession, he had expected things to continue as they always had. There should not have been anything different between their daily exchanges. Sakura should have continued to smile at him with those happy eyes of hers, not avoid him like the plague. _

_Her actions were not how friends behaved._

_She was seriously making him angry._

_Even while she sat so quietly by herself he felt irritation boiling under his skin. _

_He walked casually toward her with his hands in his pockets and his expression blank. Her back was turned and she was kneeling near a patch of flowers. Seeing as there was a bucket with digging tools next to her, he figured she was tending to the school's Gardening Club's flowers. _

_When he reached her, he wasn't surprised that she didn't notice his presence._

"_Sakura."_

_Her shoulders flinched. Her head snapped back until she was staring directly at Sasuke. Panic briefly appearance on her face and her frame tensed, but it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. She smiled at him, but it was timid and weak compared to her usual grins._

"_H-Hey Sasuke."_

_He didn't fail to notice there was no suffix._

"_What's up?" She asked._

"_Nothing much."_

_The silence that followed was suffocating. Sakura bit her lip and fumbled with the shovel in her hand. They had never had a problem with them simply enjoying each other's company before. There had been many times where they would not talk for hours, just simply watch a movie, read a book, study or anything. Yet now, it was only a few mere seconds before he felt like he might implode on the spot. Sakura eyes darted towards the ground and her first clenched at her side._

"_Um..." She started, but shut her mouth again. It was another minute before she spoke, the words leaving her lips in a jumbled heap. Sakura always babbled when she was nervous._

"_I like the seasons, you know. Spring and summer are my favorites. Spring especially. I love the feeling of the earth warming and seeing all the flours start to bloom. It's so wonderful. Fall and winter are good too. All the warm colors of fall make it so pretty and when it snows, it's always so beautiful. Great I mea—"_

"_I hate the changing of the seasons," he interrupted, "it's annoying. The change in weather gives people colds and the flowers make my allergies act up."_

"_Oh..."_

_She turned away from him, starting to dig a hole in the dirt. Too late Sasuke realized his blunt response had offended her._

"_Maybe you should go find Naruto or something. I'm trying to tend to the flowers right now and I don't have time to really talk right now."_

_She was pushing him away again._

"_I hate this," he growled out, surprising himself and Sakura. She looked confused and shocked by his outburst and Sasuke saw the hurt in her eyes almost immediately. He knew they were fumbling around each other and that if he didn't fix things now, he would ruin the friendship he was trying so hard to protect. _

_He hated to talk about his feelings and it hurt whenever Sasuke talked about the past, but Sakura had been his friend through all of it. She would understand why he just wanted to stay friends. She only had to know the reason why. Swallowing down the hesitance, Sasuke spoke._

"_I didn't want anything to change between us. I never wanted anything to change between us, but now you're avoiding me and treating me like I'm some kind of monster. I...Did you ever think about what could happen if we date? What if something bad happened or we broke up? I don't want anything worse to happen in my life—I don't want people I- I don't want things to change between us. We've been friends for a long time and I'm-I don't want that to change. My parents' divorce, my brother... Can't you see that nothing good happens when things change? Can't we just stay friends? Can't we just forget this?"_

_Those eyes of hers were wide with innocent shock and with a 'Thump' her shovel hit the ground. A gasp left her lips and for a moment Sasuke was sure she would start crying. _

"_Sasuke..." _

"_Sakura-chaaann! Sasuke! What cha' doing?"_

_Naruto's loud voice rang from somewhere behind the two and within seconds Sasuke felt his presence right beside him. He immediately started shouting about one thing or another and whatever Sakura was going to say was never brought up. _

_Sasuke didn't fail to notice the way Sakura's hands clenched the dirt beneath her._

* * *

><p>She nearly drowned because of him.<p>

They had been six years old, back when Sasuke's parents were still together and his brother was still alive. Sakura didn't know how to swim, while Sasuke had considered himself a pro because he was able to practice every day in his backyard pool. He had felt he was so good at swimming that he was obligated to teach his struggling friend. So he had invited Sakura over to his house to help teach her.

His mother had watched them for a while, sitting in one of the pool chairs. But then his father had come home after picking up Itachi and like had become normal of his parents they began to agree. His mother had gone inside and the screams were easily heard outside, Sasuke still doesn't clearly call the reason why, but he left Sakura alone in the pool to go after his mother.

It wasn't until his mother saw his presence inside that she had realized Sakura was missing. She had this frightened look on her face, a look Sasuke wouldn't forget.

Itachi had saved her life, rescued her from the pool. Something about that had always bothered Sasuke, but he assumed it was because he was responsible for her almost drowning in the first place. It could also be the fact she fawned over his brother in the month's following the accident, something that annoyed him greatly. Even after a few years passed she still looked at Itachi with bright eyes. She had cried a lot during his funeral, almost more than Sasuke had.

Over time he had let the incident go.

It hadn't been until sometime later that he realized Sakura never had. She was afraid of water now and avoided anything with large quantities of it.

"What are you doing teme?"

Snapped out of his musings, Sasuke watched wearily as Naruto made his way to him.

"Nothing usuratonkachi."

"What you'd call me?"

Ignoring Naruto, Sasuke found his attention set on shore. To his surprise he caught sight of pink.

Sakura stood near the water, the tide washing up against her feet. Her face was twisted in a frown similar to an expression someone would wear if they had eaten something bad. She took a few steps back, the small waves now unable to reach the tips of her toes.

"You have to get over your fear of water at some point Sakura."

Sasuke was surprised by the sudden voice and snapped his head in surprise to see Ino Yamanaka walking to Sakura's side. Had Sakura actually told her about her fear of water? Sasuke had always been her only friend to know that secret (whether she wanted him to or not). Something uncomfortable welled up inside him.

"I-I..."

"I mean, can you image if you don't change your ways? You'll be a wrinkled old hag that's afraid to take a bath. Isn't that a hideous thought?"

Sasuke bit his lip in anger. Ino had no right to say things to Sakura, she had no idea what it was like to be afraid of the water. Saying that it was something Sakura should just get over was stupid.

"Sakura," Sasuke called, wading up toward where Sakura was standing. Sakura's attention immediately fell on him. She grinned for a brief second, but then confusion hit her face. She snapped her head toward Ino and then back to Sasuke again.

Realization crossed her face.

"Sakura," he called again. She didn't respond, only fisted her hands at her side. Determination lit her face.

"Hey Sakura-chan!"

Sakura didn't respond to Naruto's usual call for her nor did she wave happily as was natural for her. She completely disregarded her friend and instead spun on her heal and dashed back up the small sand dune back toward the packed beach. Ino shouted at her and struggled to follow her designated buddy. As Sakura's fleeing back disappeared in the crowd, Sasuke turned away and treaded deeper into the water, her sudden actions leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

"What's wrong with Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as he swam to Sasuke's side.

"Nothing, leave her alone."

* * *

><p><em>He sat down across from her.<em>

_She looked straight at him._

_Irritation once again prickled underneath his skin. Since their interrupted conversation the day before, they had not had the chance to speak. Sasuke was still unaware what Sakura's response was to his confession, but from the downcast look she was wearing their relationship was obviously not in clear waters yet._

_Her eyes were sad as she watched him, longing obvious in her expression. When she looked away, she looked down at her lap. Her shoulders were shaking slightly._

_Sasuke frowned and forced himself to speak, not wanting to hurt Sakura and make her cry._

"_Sakura, are you—" Suddenly her head snapped up and the surprise at her sudden movement caused Sasuke to shut his mouth. The emeralds that were her eyes were no longer dull, instead they were bright and the frown on her face had disappeared. She smiled at Sasuke again and although he noted it did not reach her eyes, it was the happiest he had seen her in two weeks._

"_Hey Sasuke-kun! You're coming to the beach too right?" She asked cheerfully, directing everyone's attention to him. Sasuke did not answer her right away, too consumed in the knowledge that Sakura was once again using –kun with his name. Even when he realized everyone was waiting for his reply he only managed to grunt. _

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean teme?" Naruto elbowed him in the ribs and Sasuke let out a small hiss of pain. "Sakura asked you a question—Don't tell me you seriously aren't going to come? What are you going to do instead—be emo?"_

"_Naruto," Sakura growled. She glared at the blonde who cowered in his chair in fear of the pinkette's anger. When Sakura was satisfied with Naruto's silence she turned back to Sasuke. "Sasuke you are coming right? Everyone has been looking forward to this field trip for a while now. It wouldn't be the same without you. I know that I..." she paused for a moment, her breath hitching quietly before she continued. "I know that Naruto and I would miss you. You're our friend, it won't be the same if you aren't there."_

_Friend. _

_She had specifically used the word in order to address herself. She was making sure that Sasuke knew that she planned on staying his friend. That she was going to do as Sasuke wished and remain his friend. She was doing what Sasuke wanted._

_So why did he flinch when she called herself his friend?_

_Sakura waited patiently for the answer to her question, smiling at him all the while. "Yeah, I'm going." Sasuke said quietly. Sakura's smile brightened._

_His answer seemed to satisfy the rest of the group, because Ino turned and captured Sakura's attention almost immediately with a story that was obviously centered on the self-centered girl. _

_And while Sakura chatted on about whatever, Sasuke convinced himself that her friendship was exactly what he wanted._

* * *

><p>"Come back!"<p>

Ino's high pitched screech captured Sasuke's attention and he along with everyone within hearing of her loud scream snapped their heads toward her. Now out of the water, he saw her standing by the water side, looking frantically into the water. His eyes looked into the waves, seeing nothing but the dark blue of the sea.

Then a flash of color broke the surface.

_What is she doing?_

Sakura splashed against the surface for a moment, before a gathering wave swept her under once again. Frozen fear hit him hard in the chest and there was no thinking involved when Sasuke rushed towards the ocean shore. He only stopped for a split second when he caught sight of a child playing in the sand nearby, his discarded inner-tube by his die.

"I'm borrowing this!" Sasuke shouted as he grabbed the bright yellow object.

"Hey!" the boy shouted, but Sasuke was already in the water, struggling not to lose the device as wave after wave hit him. Once he made it past the initial barrier of waves, he struggled to swim towards where he had seen Sakura surface before

"Sakura!" He shouted.

A gurgled gasp came from a little deeper in the water and Sasuke swam toward it, and saw Sakura pink head barely above the surface as both her arms flailed against the water. He swam to her and immediately lifted her smaller body up, pushing the tube toward her.

"Grab on to it!"

She did so, grabbing onto the inflatable device and resting her head against the side. She gulped in air, repeatedly coughing and gasping from her contact with the salt water. Grabbing her arm, he held her safely up while he lifted the donut shaped tube in the air and placed it around her so that she would be the center. Sakura lifted herself so she was safely above water. Sasuke grabbed on as well, but the tube began to tip out of the water.

"Balance it out," he ordered.

She did so, leaning back against the opposite side. The adrenaline that had propelled him to her, finally started to settle as the two floated safely in the water. It didn't quell his fear at her near drowning though.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He raged, hiding his fear with harsh words.

"N-no," she gasped, coughing as she spoke.

"You don't even know how to swim!"

"I-I know."

"Then what are you doing?" Sakura didn't reply immediately to his question, instead looked sadly at him with eyes full of longing.

"...I'm changing your mind," she whispered.

"What?"

"I'm changing your mind about us being friends." She said, her eyes catching that determined glint he had seen on her just thirty minutes prior to this moment.

"I—what you told me that day, about us being friends, I can't stop thinking about it. You said that you didn't want things to change between us, that you didn't want things to change because you're afraid that something bad could happen. But that's so stupid, why can't we try? Why can't we be more? There is more to life than trying to make everything remain the same! Why can't we date when we like each other?"

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"I never told you I liked you."

"You never—You never told me you didn't like me! You never told me you didn't like me more than just friends!"

Her words sent him reeling backwards, thinking back to their conversations. To his surprise he realized that she was right, he had never said anything about rejecting her because of not liking her mutually.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings..." he lied, as he still didn't know the reason behind not having said those words in the beginning.

"No! Don't tell me that! Stop being a coward Sasuke-kun! You told me that you're afraid of us being ruined! You talked about us breaking up! Doesn't that mean you have thought of us about being together! I don't want to listen to you when you say that we can't be together because you're afraid of the outcome. I'm afraid of things too! A lot of people are! But I'm not going to let it affect me anymore! I'm afraid of water and swimming, but I'm out here now because I wanted to show you that sometimes letting go of the past is good. I want you to know that not all change is bad!"

Sakura's eyes glistened with tears, her hair stuck to her face.

"There are good things that come with change Sasuke! So please don't give up before you even try!"

No matter what she said, Sasuke didn't think he could do that. There was too much pain in his past and he didn't want to lose Sakura, his _couldn't_ lose Sakura.

"I don't think—" Sasuke started.

"I really, really like you!" She sobbed, rubbing at her eyes with her free hand. "I don't want to be just friends!"

Fear bit at his insides. But there was more than that too. Warmth seeped inside him, a feeling he felt frequently while by Sakura's side and no one else's.

"I don't want to be friends!" She wailed.

It hit him hard then, like a slap to the face.

"I—" Sasuke stopped her by planting his lips against hers. Being careful not to tip the inner-tube, he kissed her gently, pushing all his feelings onto her, trying to convey at what he had just realized himself. He watched her through half lidded eyes as she desperately pressed her mouth against his.

"You're so annoying!" He gasped, pulling away from her lips.

And Sasuke finally realized that something had changed between them a long time ago. Sakura was right, he was just being a coward and avoiding the feelings that had grown past that of friendship. He was so determined to make sure he protected himself from change, he wouldn't acknowledge his own feelings.

"Do-Do you mean that—"

Sakura leaned forward, her eyes filled with innocent disbelief, and her shift in balance caused the floating device to flip over, sending both teens tumbling into the water. Sasuke broke the surface first, Sakura following soon behind, her eyes comically wide in shock. She blinked for a moment and then turned toward him. Sasuke realized she was keeping her head above water by herself.

"I-I'm swimming! I'm swimming!" Sakura gasped, a smile of pleasure at her accomplishment appearing as her laughter rang by his side.

She looked like a drowning cat with the way she was splashing the water to stay afloat.

"Get back in the tube idiot!"

"Okay, okay!" She laughed, her entire expression glowing with happiness. She slipped under the tube and grabbed back on the plastic.

Glancing toward the shore, Sasuke realized that no one else had entered the water to help. In fact he didn't even see Ino or any of their other classmates nearby.

"Why did no one else come to help you? What were they thinking?"

At his question, Sakura's cheeks flamed and she looked down at the water beneath her.

"Well...I...I sorta planned this out with Ino. She was going to stop anyone else from coming to help," she said nervously.

Sasuke stared at her in shock, which quickly evaporated into anger at putting herself in danger. Sasuke would make sure Ino got an earful later at allowing her friend to create such a stupid and dangerous plan.

"What if you really had drowned?"

"I trusted that you would rescue me, Sasuke-kun."

He glared at her sheepish face and wanting to punish her for giving him one of the biggest scares of his life he prepared to dump her into the water again, only to his embarrassment Sasuke slipped on the slick plastic and ended under the water himself.

When he resurfaced, Sakura was laughing and smiling.

"Stop that," he growled, grabbing onto the tube and attempting to not cough or spit out some of the salt water he had swallowed when he slipped. Eventually the need outweighed the potential embarrassment and he sputtered slightly, the horrid taste in his mouth too strong.

She giggled as she pushed his soaked bangs away from his eyes. Sakura leaned over the inner tube and placed her lips against his for a split second before pulling back. Her eyes bore into his as she repeated the words from last month with, what he should have realized a long time ago was _his_ smile, on her lips.

"I love you."

Sasuke knew then, he wouldn't mind Sakura saying those words time and time again, and he sincerely hoped that those feelings would be one thing that never changed.

* * *

><p><strong>Alternate Universe:<strong> School! 13 years old? No ninja? Sounds like an AU world to me!

**Change:** Seriously? You need me to clarify?

~Kyuu-chan


	4. Unfortunate Events

_**Unfortunate Events – Fanfiction**_**  
>Title: <strong>Unfortunate Events  
><strong>Summary: <strong>(Drabble) "Oh...Welcome home Sasuke-kun!" It was not specifically the fact that Sasuke came home early that left Sakura in a fray, nor was it the fact that he came home when he said he would stay at Naruto's so she and the girls could have a night to themselves. It was what he came home to that left Sakura frantic, because by the expression on his face he was not at all happy at what he found in their home.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Chance Meetings  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> Home  
><strong>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Warning(s):<strong> Unedited Madness! Beware the errors of destruction!  
><strong>Comments:<strong> I'm celebrating my two year anniversary today and to celebrate. A bunch of updates on random things! Yay! Celebration time!

* * *

><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku Month_ **XxX**

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat _**XxX**

...

..

.

_Unfortunate Events_

* * *

><p>"I'll be waiting at <strong>home<strong> for you tomorrow!"

* * *

><p>"Please! Ple-ease! Please, please, please pleasepleaseplease—"<p>

"Fine, fine! Just stop that Sakura."

The pinkette in question's pleading puppy-dog eyes vanished on the spot, only to be replaced with a bright grin. She snapped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her boyfriend's slim waist and planting her lips on the underside of his chin (as she wasn't tall enough to kiss him on the lips without dragging his head downwards).

"Thank you Sasuke-kun!"

"Hn."

The two had been dating for nearly two years now and their relationship had recently progressed to the point where Sakura had moved into his house. Sakura would admit there were plenty of great things that had come along with her new living arrangements. Waking up to Sasuke's musky sent and chiseled chest was of course at the top of the list. However despite the wonders of being able to live with her boyfriend, there was still something that she missed having while living in her own place. That being able to host the monthly 'Girl's Night In' that Ino, Hinata, Tenten and sometimes Temari (when she was in town) had made their tradition.

And with Ino living in her cramped apartment, Hinata still living with her overly strict father, Tenten living in her dorm room at the military base, and Temari's house being a five hour drive away, it was customary for Sakura to invite her friends over.

But since the move it had been impossible to have a 'Girl's Night' when there was a brooding, sexy, all _man_, Sasuke living with her.

Which led to where she was now, finally having won Sasuke's approval of having a bunch of girls running around his—_their_—home.

Even more than that though, was the fact she had managed to make him agree to spend the night with Naruto; In Naruto's apartment, which was surely going to be a filthy mess. But that situation was nothing that constant pleading and the amazing puppy dog eyes could fix.

"I love you Sasuke-kun," Sakura proclaimed with glee, wrapping her arms tighter around her beloved. He grunted in reply, his arms wrapping around her waist before one of his hands crept suggestively lower, grouping her backside. His bent his head forward until his mouth was at her left ear, which his kissed softly before blowing a puff of air on the moist lobe.

"You better make this up to me." He whispered directly into her ear.

Sakura let out a gasp of moan, forgetting herself for a brief moment, before she realized she had only a few short hours to get Sasuke packed and out of the house, clean up the place and get everything set up, before her friends arrived. Also she had to tell them the plans were officially on.

Pushing on his shoulders, she put as much difference between them as she could—which was only an inch or two. Despite her strength Sasuke had an iron grip. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura started, "Of course I'll make it up to you." She purred the words out and watched as Sasuke's eyes turned a shade darker. "But, that will have to be later. I have a bunch of things to do and you have to pack and head over to Naruto's soon and well there is just a lot of things to do. So can you start packing for the night? And then afterwards help me clean up just a tad?"

Frustration prickled in his dark onyx eyes as he released his hold on her. Sakura watched as he gave his signature Sakura glare (which was of course, much more toned down then any of his other glares to people like Naruto) before he shrugged his shoulders and started heading up the stairs to do as she had requested.

When she sent him off she could tell he was still irritated by the situation. He walked toward his car with his navy blue bag hanging off his shoulder, groaning about something relating to "ramen stench." She smiled at his back and suddenly found that she didn't want him to leave just yet.

"Wait Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke paused before he glanced over his shoulder at her, hands in his pockets and looking as casual and uninterested as he possibly could. Biting her lip, she shouted at him from under the doorway.

"I'll be waiting at home for you tomorrow!"

* * *

><p>"Oh...Welcome <strong>home<strong> Sasuke-kun!"

* * *

><p>"Where are the damn keys?"<p>

Ino's screech rang from somewhere upstairs and it only caused the pounding in Sakura's head to become more intense. She let out a soft groan, before pushing her hand more firmly against the back of her head. She stared blankly at the front door, trying to ignore the pain and the warm liquid covering her hand, trailing down her neck.

What a _nightmare_ the entire thing had turned into.

Pain seared against her skull and Sakura shifted her hand slightly. She wondered how much longer it would be before one of the girls found the car keys so they could drive her to the hospital. Despite there not being any immediate danger, Sakura still just wanted to hurry up and be treated. A large thudding noise came from the living room along with a small shriek. Sakura turned her head to the right and saw Hinata stumble around the corner with a brightly flushed face.

"I-I-I knocked over the c-coach." Hinata wailed slightly, her fingers twitching the way they did when she was nervous. Sakura inwardly groaned, realizing just how much of a disaster her house probably looked like right now. Forcing herself to comfort her friend, she gave a brief "it doesn't matter."

"A-A-Are y-you sure your o-okay?" Hinata stuttered, looking horrified at the crimson color that was covering Sakura's neck and shirt.

"I'm fine," Sakura gritted out. It was true of course. Head wounds always bleed more than other injuries, even when they were less severe. Despite the other girls' panic, Sakura was calm and collected, her training in the medic field leaving her not at all frightened at the situation.

Well not at all of it anyway.

Hinata nodded slowly before she turned and dashed up the stairs. Sakura watched her go and with dread, noticed that there was a bloody hand print trail along the wall on the stairwell. She hadn't realized she had left the stain when she had stumbled down the stairs to where she sat at the bottom now. Dejectedly, she hung her head in-between her knees.

There came more ruffling sounds from upstairs and another shriek of outrage from Ino before Tenten shouted a curse. Sakura focused her eyes on the wall and just thanked her lucky stares that Sasuke was not returning until the early afternoon tomorrow—or today rather. It gave her plenty of time to get patched up at the hospital and then to start to bleach the place down, and tidy things up and pretend that nothing had ha—

A dull _thump _sounded to her right.

She snapped her head to the side, a small splatter of blood hitting the ground in front of her. The first thing she saw was a duffle bag on the floor. Then she noticed the pair of feet next to it. The silhouette of the tall man had her reeling backwards in horror. His entire posture was tense and she dully noted the hand above the duffle bag still looked like it was gripping the handle.

There were many things should could say to him at that moment in time. But instead she found herself unable to form words. Her mouth was opened ever so slightly in shock at Sasuke's unexpected arrival. Her heart pounded in her chest and her head throbbed violently, as she watched panic and fear splinter across his face at the sight of her drenched in blood. Words slipped out of her mouth before she even realized what she was saying.

"Oh...Welcome home Sasuke-kun!"

* * *

><p>"Let's go <strong>home<strong>."

* * *

><p>"So a water bottle did this?"<p>

"Yes," Sakura sheepishly answered, "One of my friend's threw it and well..." Sakura trailed off figuring her colleague was knowledgeable enough to know she was implicating that the wound to the back of her head had been caused by sheer luck and bad aim.

The nurse giggled slightly, before she happily announced that she had finished cleaning the wound. Sakura nervously turned toward the door.

"Um..." she started. "Is...Is he still outside the door?"

"Sasuke-san?" The nurse chirped curiously, asking for clarification.

Sakura nodded slowly in her nervousness.

The memory of Sasuke's anger at being ushered out of the hospital room was still fresh in her mind. In fact the events of the last hour were still fresh in her mind. It seemed the same time that Sasuke had come home early (annoyed beyond belief with Naruto that he was not willing to spend the rest of the night with him and instead would risk coming home to face Sakura's anger), Ino had located the keys to the car and cheerfully ran down the stairs, only to come face to face with a (unwanted) reunion.

Sasuke's abrupt change from fear for Sakura to anger at Ino was terrifying to say the least. By the time he was finished tearing Ino to shreds and dragging Sakura toward his car, she had seen tears in her friend's eyes. She would have said something to Sasuke about his actions, but the trembling of his hand against hers left her quiet.

When he had been kicked out of the hospital room, Sakura thought he would murder the doctor assigned to treat her wound. Luckily he hadn't. According to the nurse before her now, he had been pacing back in forth in the hallway and furiously running his hand through his spiked hair.

It seemed that Sasuke was frightened for her welfare at the moment, despite how desperately she had tried to tell him otherwise. But the fact he was worried for her did not warm Sakura at all. No, because for Sasuke fear and anger were near one and the same.

"Would you, would you check for me?" Sakura asked quietly.

The nurse smiled softly, before she opened the door and took a quick glance out in the hallway. She quickly shut the door quietly and turned back to look at Sakura. "Well, he is not pacing anymore at all." Sakura's breath hitched. "If fact he is siting quiet calmly just a little down the hall."

The nurse turned toward the pinkette and was surprised to see a look of horror on the woman's face. Sakura groaned aloud, placing her hands (that had been cleaned of blood) against her face.

"What's wrong Haruno-senpai? The painkillers should be kicking in now."

Sakura cursed herself inwardly. If Sasuke was calm it meant that he understood she was not in danger and that meant he would release all his pent up rage from Sakura nearly giving him a heart attack.

"Ah Sasuke-san!" the nurse chirped again, catching Sakura's attention. Sasuke entered the room in one stride, acting like he owned the place.

The nurse smiled a little too brightly at Sasuke, but respectively turned toward her senpai and bowed. "I'll leave you too alone now then. I'll put all the discharge papers at the front desk, you can leave whenever you're ready." And with that she was gone.

Silence was all that remained. Sakura looked at the floor like it was the most astonishing thing she had ever seen. He did not say anything nor did he move from his spot. Eventually, when the awkward pause got the best of her Sakura chanced a glance up at him. He was staring at her, nothing in his face or eyes betraying the slightest emotion.

She forced a smile at him, hoping to ease the tension between them. Sasuke only narrowed his eyes into a pointed glare. But despite this, he walked to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist, ushering her toward the exit of the examination room. His hand tenderly stroked the skin of her side. Sakura looked up at him questioningly and although she could see the firm lines of his anger on his face, he only gave a small grunt before pressing his lips gently against her cheek.

She knew then that even though he was angry with her injury, he was more relieved that she was safe and in his arms, and that made a true grin touch her face.

"Let's go home," he whispered in her ear softly.

* * *

><p><strong>Chance Meetings:<strong> Sasuke came home early...Sakura was surprised neh?

**Home:** ...-cough-

Hope you enjoyed!

~Kyuu-chan


	5. It's You

_**It's You – Fanfiction**_**  
>Title: <strong>It's You  
><strong>Summary: <strong>(Drabble) It was always freezing in their bedroom. She never could understand why he always had to have the air conditioning cranked up until she would shiver uncontrollably. It was only when she returned from a week long mission and found the home nice and toasty that she realized the freezing cold was just a way Sasuke made sure she cuddled against him without him having to go out of his way to say so.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Post Cannon  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> Warmth  
><strong>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Warning(s):<strong> Cuteness strikes once again

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><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku Month_ **XxX  
><strong>

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat_ **XxX**

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_It's You_

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><p>She let out a huff of air as she approached the entrance to her home. The fall breeze blew her air messily around her face and she quickly brushed aside the pink locks so she could look upon the rather old house that she called her home. She stepped onto the porch and paused for a moment, preparing herself mentally for the frigid temperatures she would soon be facing. She gripped her jounin jacket tighter and slid open the door expecting the usual blast of air conditioning to hit her face, instead however there was nothing but the creaking of the wood.<p>

Confused, she stepped inside and felt a jolt of shock spread down her spine at the warm temperature; a level of warmth that this house had not been at in two years.

"What the—"

She searched for another chakra within the house, but found nothing. He was not home. Puzzled, she quickly went to her room and changed, for once in her life not having to rush in fear of getting frost bite. When her dirty clothes from her mission were off and her civilian clothes were on, she slipped back through the house, taking a quick peak at the thermostat, and then left to give her mission report to Tsunade.

She closed the door with a smile on her face.

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><p>It was cold again.<p>

It was like a cruel hit against her hope that maybe during her week long mission there had been some drastic change within her home. That maybe frigid temperatures were no longer needed. That perhaps, he had decided that his wife didn't need to freeze on a regular basis.

She laughed at herself.

He loved his icy kingdom for so long now, why would only one week change things so much?

"Sakura."

Forgetting her thoughts, Sakura turned around and stared at the figure in the doorway to their kitchen. Her husband was leaning against the frame, his arms crossed against his chest. He looked calm and collected as always, his face not betraying the slightest emotion.

Sakura smiled brightly and watched with delight when his lips formed a slight smirk.

"Sasuke-kun."

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><p>"Sasuke...did you—did you stay at Naruto's while I was gone?"<p>

Sakura lay on the left side of the bed, facing the raven haired man who seemed to be glaring hotly at the ceiling. When she asked him the question however, he turned his attention to her.

"No," he said simply.

Sakura stared at him for a moment, noticing his furrowed eyebrows and the way his onyx eyes (which were barely visible in the darkness of the room) seemed to be asking something.

"Oh..." It was the only sound Sakura was able to form.

Silence pooled around their forms and Sakura curled into a ball under the covers, attempting to keep the cold from making her toes go numb and distract herself from the growing tension between the two. Eventually her continuously growing curiosity at the change in temperatures got the best of her. Sasuke never liked anything but the coolness of the AC blasting in the house, so for the brief moment she had come home to heat was like the mystery of the century.

"...So then you stayed home all week while I was on my mission?"

"Yes." The words were growled out between clenched teeth. Sasuke snapped his head to the side so he could stare back at the ceiling. It was clear that he was growing irritated with Sakura's questioning. "Why do you keep asking me questions?" he bit out; still staring at the ceiling.

Sakura paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that her twenty questions were sounding eerily similar to a wife worried of her husband's faithfulness.

"Well, when I came home originally...it was actually rather warm in the house. And it confused me. I was wondering if the AC was broken during the week or if you stayed with Naruto or something...I wasn't thinking anything else."

Sasuke's eyes widened and almost immediately he went completely tense. His eyes found her small body once again.

"You came home before you went to the Hokage." Sakura had a hard time distinguishing whether those words were a question or accusation.

"Well, my mission was supposed to last for three more days, but since it finished early, I figured it would be fine if I went home and changed before I went to Tsunade. It's nothing big Sasuke, you've done it plenty of times before as well. The time you came to visit me in the hospital and—er," Sakura's cheeks flushed pink. "Tsunade never said anything about me having changed clothes."

Sasuke didn't seem interested in whatever she was saying however. His body was stiff and his dark onyx eyes were glowering at her from his side of the bed. A chill spread down her spine and despite it not originating from the cold room, Sakura pulled the blankets tighter around her body.

Somehow though, this did not seem the first time this type of situation had happened. In fact the more she thought about it, the more familiar this situation seemed to be. This was not the first time that Sasuke's dark eyes had watched her from across the bed, while he seemed almost miffed as she lay beside him.

When Sakura had first moved into his family's old home she had some trouble adjusting to a few things there. The large empty house was slightly intimidating, it was confusing trying to learn where all the utensils were in the kitchen, and Sakura did not know how to handle the new intimacy of her relationship with Sasuke.

Sharing a bedroom with him in the first few days was one of the most stressful and awkward moments of Sakura's life. Sasuke had always seemed to like solitude and was someone who liked very limited amounts of physical contact. It took only a few months of dating him before Sakura realized he was an avid protester against public affection. He wouldn't even hold her hand while walking in the forest, let alone the crowded streets of Konoha.

She had thus not known how to adapt to an environment where it was just Sasuke and her. Seeing as he had disliked any type of affection in public, Sakura had assumed he would not like it in private either. She clearly remembered the first awkward night they had slept in the same bed. She had laid on the opposite side and spent the night awkwardly stiff.

It had continued like that for a week, except after a while Sasuke began to glower at her before he rolled over and faced the opposite wall.

Then suddenly Sakura had returned from the hospital one night to find the house unexpectedly cold. When she had asked Sasuke about the temperature change, he replied simply that he preferred the cold. It was the third night after having attempted to sleep wrapped in as many blankets as possible that she had awakened _warm_. The confusion at the pulsing heat had disappeared when she had realized she was pressed firmly against Sasuke's chest, having searched for extra heat sometime in the night.

Since that morning, she spent every night that one of them wasn't on a mission cuddled against his warmth.

Well, until tonight that is.

Sasuke was still staring at her, his eyes flashed at her from across the bed and for a moment he looked almost angry. He then turned around and lay on his other side, facing away from her. The movement again brought back memories of the beginning of their rooming days.

And then something snapped in place inside Sakura's thoughts.

Never once had Sasuke complained about her sleeping attached to his side. Sakura hadn't thought much of it; she had told him the first day she had awoken in his arms that this was the price he had to pay for the house to stay so cold.

But he _never_ said anything about it. He didn't seem frustrated at her actions; he didn't seem like this was something he disliked. In fact, it seemed like the days where she hadn't cuddled with him were the days he had watched her with those dark eyes of his like he was mad at her.

The bitter cold in the house was something that had only started after Sakura had moved in with him. Before that she had never heard from anyone that Sasuke liked it cold in his house, in fact Naruto was just as surprised when he first visited the home after the new temperature was put in place.

Sasuke had seemed upset with her for coming home early and discovering the house to be at a normal temp. The AC was not broken and Sasuke had not been staying somewhere else during her mission. He himself had turned off the air conditioner and then turned it back on when he probably heard that she had returned early.

Sasuke _wasn't_ obsessed with the house being cold.

Sasuke had always been bad at expressing his emotions and even now after a year of marriage he was still silent more often than not. He often didn't tell her things, because to him it was near impossible to say them.

It hit her hard to realize that he **wanted** her in his arms and that this cold house was just a tactic he used in order to ensure he got it without actually telling her.

"Sasuke," she gasped at his back and watched as he turned his head to look at her. Her open mouth stare suddenly changed into a giddy smile.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura wanted to tell him she knew. She wanted to grin as she revealed his secret and then let out a small laugh when his cheeks turned that very rare pink color. But the words would not form on her tongue. And suddenly she realized that all this time she could have argued with Sasuke about turning the heat up so many times. She never did. Instead she told him that he would have to live with her cuddling instead.

Her cheeks turned pink as she realized she was just as guilty in this conspiracy as Sasuke was.

"What?" Sasuke growled, his temper obviously getting the best of him.

Sakura slid across the bed until she lay by her husband's side. His eyes followed all her movements, watching as she cuddled against his chest, buried her cold toes into the seemingly overflowing heat of his body, and rested her head on his shoulder. It was only then that Sakura realized how cold she had been while being separated from him.

"...You're warm," she said, her voice just a breath of a whisper.

"Hn." Sasuke casually replied, his arm wrapping around her waist and his free hand threading his fingers through her soft hair. Sakura smiled against his chest and buried herself further into his warmth, her discovery at Sasuke's secret desire causing any discomfort with the cool room to vanish. As long as he was beside her Sakura could care less about the temperature, because as she had long ago realized, Sasuke's warmth was all she ever needed.

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><p>Teehee, they both wanted to cuddle :3<p> 


	6. Light's Out

**Title: **Lights Out**  
>Summary: <strong>(Drabble) Many people said that your other senses were heightened with the loss of one. Sakura didn't believe this was particularly true. She had always had perfect eye sight; 20:20 of course. And the taste and smells of Konoha did not change significantly. And well, she had always reacted so strongly to Sasuke's touch, so again the loss of her hearing had really not changed anything of her other senses. Especially not any senses pertaining to Sasuke.**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own Naruto**  
>Theme:<strong> Special Occasion**  
>Prompt: <strong>Sensitivity**  
>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction**  
>Rating:<strong> T**  
>Warning(s):<strong> None.

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><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku Month_ **XxX**

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat_ **XxX**

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_Light's Out_

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><p><em>Many people said that your other senses were heightened with the loss of one. Sakura didn't believe this was particularly true. She had always had perfect eye sight. The taste and smells of Konoha did not change significantly. And of course, not any senses pertaining to Sasuke or her feelings for him had changed either.<em>

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><p>Fireworks lit up the sky above her. The colors blended, mingled, and created a symphony with every explosion of light. Sakura tilted her head with the rest of the crowd and watched in awe as the last of the light display finished with a spectacular ending of silver, red, and gold. It was a beautiful sight and everyone in the crowd was enjoying it.<p>

Sakura felt the resounding boom travel through the ground and into the soles of her sandals and then all was still. It took a while before the citizens of Konoha finally realized that the ending of the amazing display had come and a few more moments before the crowd slowly began to dissolve. Sakura however remained where she stood, still watching the night sky and admiring the stars that twinkled brightly. It was rare that they were so bright with Konoha's many lights dulling their presence.

It was only then that she realized how thin the gathering was now and her thoughts realigned themselves to more important matters. Glancing around quickly, Sakura let out a long sigh and prepared to continue her search; the one she was on before she became distracted by the fireworks. She took a few steps forward before a hand firmly gripped her upper arm and yanked her backwards.

Surprised, Sakura spun on the spot and faced the stoic face of Sasuke. His face was emotionless as usual, but Sakura noticed the fading frantic gleam in his eyes.

"_There you are._"

He spoke gruffly, his mouth moving with a quirk to it. Although he had been worried with her disappearance only moments prior, Sakura knew without a doubt that he was barely hiding his anger now.

Admittedly, the protectiveness was adorable in the beginning. It was something new to be pampered and babied by Sasuke, his constant watching left her flushed and giddy. However at some points she felt he had passed the line.

"_You need to be more careful Sakura, what if I hadn't found you?"_

Sakura scoffed and gave his shoulder a small push. "I think I can find my way home while I'm in _my _village." Despite the scenery having changed slightly for the spring festival in Konoha, there was really not that much of a difference in the town. It was still the same walk home it had been for the last three years.

She watched with amusement as he continued to gaze at her with overprotective eyes. He seemed to be debating on whether to say something more to her, but instead his shoulders moved forward ever so slightly, in the way they always did when Sasuke used his trademark grunt.

His hand was still securely holding her own as he turned and started guiding her through the dispersing crowd. Sakura quickly maneuvered herself underneath one of his arms, moving his hand to grasp her shoulder before she wrapped one of her arms tightly around his slim waist.

She smiled happily, looking up to see if Sasuke would say anything about this more affectionate position, but he only looked straight forward and gave her shoulder a small squeeze.

Grinning to herself, she glanced around at the passing citizens of Konoha. Children and adults alike were enjoying the final moments of the festival. Glancing at the crowd brought Sakura's attention to another fact. She had attended this event with more people than just Sasuke and seeing as they were already heading toward the direction of home, Sakura realized he probably didn't plan on meeting everyone again tonight.

"Shouldn't we go say goodbye to everyone? Or at least tell them I'm not lost?"

She looked up at his face too late and only caught the last mutter of his speech.

"—_still doesn't."_

"I didn't catch that," Sakura whispered with the expectation that Sasuke would repeat himself. He did. "_The dobe is such an idiot. He didn't notice you were missing and probably still doesn't."_ Sakura laughed at the expression on his face. Sasuke was probably angry with Naruto for more reasons than just not noticing Sakura's disappearance while traveling through the crowded venders. When Sakura had lost sight of the group (having been distracted by some delicious looking dango) Naruto had been in the process of forcing Sasuke to talk with the rest of the crowd. She distantly remembered Naruto's cry of "_It's not fair that you only ever talk when Sakura's around. Why don't you speak to everyone teme! Come on, talk to Hinata and me,"_ before he dragged Sasuke away from her side.

"He was just really excited," Sakura defended. "This is his first real date with Hinata in a while and he was so preoccupied with staring at her in her new kimono, I'm not surprised he didn't notice."

Sasuke seemed to snort for a moment, the look on his face stating that Naruto should have noticed the lack of his pink haired teammate and no excuse mattered.

"She was very pretty today," Sakura muttered quietly to herself. Hinata had always been a stunning young woman but donned in her lavender kimono made her seem twice as beautiful.

Sasuke's arm tightened around her shoulder and with a flash of speed he stood in front of her.

"_I didn't..." _Sasuke started, but paused. He looked thoughtful... almost nervous for the smallest of seconds, but both emotions passed quickly. His black eyes regarded her appraisingly. _"You look beautiful. Much more beautiful than the Hyuga. Too many people were staring," _he said. Sakura's face flushed immediately and she glanced down at her crimson kimono decorated with fine gold strands. It was true that she was rather proud of her choice of attire and had enjoyed Sasuke's furious gaze at the few men that had glanced in her direction.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun, but I'm pretty sure you are biased in that opinion."

Sasuke scoffed in response, pulling her to him and continuing the walk to their shared home. After they entered the house and the front door was securely bolt locked, Sasuke headed down the hall toward their bedroom. Sakura followed behind.

"Are you glad to be out of the crowd?" Sakura asked despite knowing the answer.

"_Yes," _he said simply before he opened the door to the bedroom and stepped inside.

"Hmm..." Sakura moaned appreciably at the sight of the bed, ready to lay back and relax. Before she could go far though, Sasuke had trapped her against the entrance. The fire in his eyes was all she needed to see to know his purpose.

He leaned toward her, his hands cradling her face with the lightest of touch, as if he was afraid she would break. It always warmed her insides to know how much he cared. However, before they were both too distracted Sakura felt that she had to say something.

"Sasuke-kun," she interrupted. His eyes flashed up from her lips to stare into her eyes, he looked flustered at her stopping him from kissing her; something that she very rarely did. With a reassuring smile she said the words that she had meant since she was 13 years old.

"I love you."

Onyx gazed at her for a moment and all was still and then Sasuke's lips moved.

"_I love you too._"

For a minute, those words left a bitter feeling in the pit of Sakura's stomach. Longing filled her gut, as she wished for nearly the hundredth time that she could actually **hear** him say the words and was not just reading them off his lips. How many times had she wished that she could listen to his velvet voice say those words? How many times had she wished that she had at least once heard him say it aloud?

But of course she had realized these emotions were pointless.

She could not hear anymore. No matter how much she pleaded otherwise she would not be able to listen to anyone speak again. She had accepted this fact nearly a year ago. It was painful to do so, but she had. It got easier over time, and now the longing lasted only a second before it passed. It no longer mattered that she could not hear it, because the words she read from his gorgeous lips were **true**.

He loved her now.

It may have taken the destruction of her hearing to realize it. It may have taken the shock of her arriving in the hospital in shambles after a mission gone wrong or watching her wake in the hospital bed with a look of horror before telling him she couldn't hear a word he was saying. It may have been holding her in his arms while she sobbed at her loss or watching how hard she worked to learn how to read people's lips. Sakura would never know for sure, but during the time of which she lost her hearing something inside Sasuke had changed. She was no longer the only person that put effort into their relationship. He no longer pushed her away.

He cared for her more than anyone else.

And the fuzzy feeling that filled her being every time she realized that was amazing. So amazing that she couldn't help the brilliant smile spread across her face. A smile that was Sasuke's alone.

She tugged him closer to her, hoping that he would continue were they had left off. Not to her disappointment, Sasuke's eyes flashed with heat again and he leaned forward, holding her to his chest with one powerful arm while the other trailed off to the side. His hand hovered over the light switch of the room as his lips closed in on her own. To her disappointment though, he teased her by hovering slightly above her lips. With a hiss of frustration from the pinkette, Sasuke finally acted. The lights went off with the casual flick of his finger and then the only senses that remained were the tingling in her body and the flavor of his mouth.

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><p>The reason for the italics for Sasuke's speech is because Sakura was reading his lips the entire time. Not actually hearing him say everything.<p> 


	7. Angel's Son

**Title: **Angel's Son**  
>Summary: <strong>(Drabble) "I got one last year," Ryouichi whined as he held up the kunai knife in his hand, "why is this one supposed to be so special?" Sakura wanted to laugh when her son let out a huff as he finished his speech because the disappointed pout that was set upon his face was simply adorable. "Do you really not understand why he got you this?" "No," he spat out and she was unable to hold back her laugh. "Ryouichi sweetie, this is your father's way of saying that he is giving you responsibility to protect our family."**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own Naruto**  
>Theme:<strong> Special Occasion**  
>Prompt: <strong>Protect(or)**  
>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction**  
>Rating:<strong> T**  
>Warning(s):<strong> None.**  
>Comments:<strong> Rawr! Still more updates to come!

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><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku Month_ **XxX**

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat_** XxX**

...

..

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_Angel's Son_

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><p>"Ryouichi!"<p>

He turned his attention toward the dispersing crowd and looked eagerly for the person who called his name. Despite the crowd dwindling in numbers, he still couldn't see her bright features. More than likely it was due to her petite stature.

"Ryouchi-nii~!"

A girl no older than four slammed into Ryouichi's back, sending both of them tumbling toward the ground below. Pink hair fluttered in the breeze before softly landing in an array of messy curls.

"Get off Ai!" the boy grumbled.

"Niisan~!" The girl squealed in delight, wrapping her chubby arms around the boy's neck and squeezed hard. "Did pass? Did 'ou pass?" She asked in between her small giggles.

"Ai, let go of your brother."

The two onyx eyed children lifted their heads to see their mother standing with a wide smile in front of them. Ai jumped up quickly and reached toward her with expectant arms.

"Okasan!"

Sakura picked her daughter up easily, but before she could free her hand and help her eldest son stand, he had already gotten to his feet and begun to brush dirt from his pants. She let out a small sigh, realizing yet again how independent the nine year old was.

"Are you okay, Ryouichi?"

"I'm fine," he bit out, brushing his dark bangs out of his face. Unable to help herself, Sakura brushed his hair with her free hand, working the dirt and tangles out. "I'm fine, Okasan!" Ryouichi protested. With a rather childish pout, he pushed his mother's hand out of his hair.

Sakura rolled her eyes and shifted the squirming Ai in her arms, so that she had a better hold on her daughter. When the girl wasn't in threat of falling, Sakura turned her attention back onto the nine year old.

"How did it go sweetie?" she asked cautiously, despite having no doubts on her son's success today. He smirked with pride at her question.

"I passed of course."

"Oh! That's wonderful Ryouichi! I knew you would."

His smirk grew at her compliment, however he looked slightly put out immediately afterwards.

"I would have passed last year you know." He looked at her with hard onyx eyes, and Sakura sighed with exasperation. It bothered her sometimes just how much Ryouichi took after his father.

"Ryouichi...we've talked about thi—"

"I know," he interrupted. He looked away from his mother, his eyes stubbornly focused off in the distance. She sighed and turned her attention to her daughter, who was growing fussier in her mother's arms.

"Ai, can you go down for a little while?"

"Down, down!" Ai cried and Sakura swiftly placed the girl on her feet. Ai was off and spinning around in a matter of seconds, energy bubbling from her in waves. Ryouichi in the meantime was looking sadly toward the now vacant school yard. All the other students and parents had left to return to their homes. He had known all along that he wouldn't be able to come, but the disappointment still hit him hard.

Sakura noticed her son's solemn face though and was quickly able to identify the reason for it. Ryouichi looked up to his father more than anyone and when his father's mission would overlap with his academy exams and graduation, Ryouichi wouldn't utter a word to him for the rest of the week.

Sakura placed her hand on Ryouichi's shoulder.

"Ryouichi, you know your father couldn't—"

"Ai, stop it!"

Sakura turned toward Ryouichi's sight in time to see Ai skid to a stop in a mud puddle. She stumbled in her slide, looking as if she were going to fall, before her skinny arms waved rapidly in the air to regain her balance. Mud was splatter all over her blue dress.

"Ai," Sakura sighed, about to retrieve the hyper girl, when Ryouichi shot out in front of her.

"Be careful!" His gripped her hand and pulled his little sister away from the puddle, not letting go of her even when she was clear of any dangers. Seeing him worry about Ai's safety reminded Sakura of something.

"I have something for you, Ryouichi!"

"What is it?" He asked as at the same moment she brought a medium-sized blue box from her side bag. She held it up with a bright smile, handing the package to him.

"It's a present to celebrate your graduation!"

"From you?" It was nice to see the smile on Ryouichi's face; even as a graduate from the academy, he still got excited with the prospect of gifts.

"Actually, I'm making your favorite meal for your present. This is from your father."

"Otousan?" It was rather cute to see Ryouchi's face brighten further upon hearing where the gift came from.

"Go on and open it." He did as she said, ripping away the wrapping, before removing the lid, and greedily looking into the box. He stared into the box for a moment and in a split second his expression went from elation to disappointment.

"Do you like it?"

"What is it? What is it?" Ai jumped up in down in her attempt to see what was in the box.

"I got one last year," Ryouichi whined as he held up the kunai knife, "why is this one supposed to be so special?"

Sakura wanted to laugh when her son let out a huff as he finished his speech because the disappointed pout that was set upon his face was simply adorable. He acted much too old for his age, and seeing such a childlike reaction actually made her smile. "Do you really not understand why he got you this?"

"No," he spat out and she was unable to hold back her laugh.

"Ryouichi sweetie, this is your father's way of saying that he is giving you a responsibility to protect our family."

His dark eyes blinked innocently, not comprehending her words.

"Did you see the other side?"

Ryouichi quickly flipped the weapon over to see what his mother had mentioned. On the opposite side, the blade had been engraved with the uchiwa fan. It was small, and placed at the base of the metal, but it was there all the same. On the handle, words had been written down the side. It took only a short breath for Ryouichi to recognize the handwriting as his father's.

"Bravery," he whispered.

"You know Ryouichi, your father has always been very proud of you."

"He...did this himself?"

"Well, don't tell him I told you this...but he had the knife made the same day you started going to the academy; he has been holding onto it for three years. Your father has always believed in your talent Ryouichi; we both do. We were worried you were still too young to graduate from the academy last year, that's why we didn't let you take the test. We never doubted your abilities though, not for a moment."

Ryouichi stared at his mother with wide eyes.

"Your father believes in you...that's why he got you this kunai knife. To help you protect the village and those you care for."

"Ohh..." He stared at the knife with his mouth open, looking at the kunai like it was some mystical creature. Watching such an innocent reaction made Sakura want to tease her mature son a little.

"I could always take it back and get—" she reached forward with her palm outstretch as if offering to take the gift back. Ryouichi quickly moved the kunai out of her reach and held it tightly to his chest.

"No," Ryouichi cried loudly. His face burned red at his outburst, but he still held the knife away from his mother's reach. "I'm keeping it."

Sakura pulled her hand back, smirking at her accomplishment of changing her stubborn child's mind.

"That's fine then."

"Okasan, Niisan I'm hungry!" Sakura and Ryouichi both turned their heads toward the tiny pinkette who after getting bored with the conversation had sat on the ground. Her arm was raised awkwardly in the air however, seeing as Ryouichi still hadn't released her hand. He did so when she spoke, looking rather embarrassed with himself.

"Should we be heading home now? Well, first we have to pick up Itsuki, but after that I can cook everyone a yummy dinner at home. Does that sound good?"

"Yes!"

"Ryouichi?"

"That's fine." Sakura helped Ai to her feet and lead her by hand toward the exit of the school grounds. Ryouichi followed by their side, placing his hands in his pockets; a gesture that was almost identical to Sasuke in his younger days.

"Why didn't Itsuki come?" The question startled Sakura, who had been dazing off. She smiled at Ryouichi's question though, thinking of her seven year old son and his excuse for not coming to see if his brother had graduated.

"Well he said he wanted to play with Emi, but I think he was just being stubborn. I think he wanted you to stay in school. He's pretty nervous about starting at the academy you know."

"It's not that bad," Ryouichi whispered. "I can give him tips on all the teachers and when I'm not on missions I can help him train." The boy was already taking his role as 'protector' so seriously that Sakura couldn't stop her laugh. Ryouichi looked at her, his ears turning red.

"That's sounds like a very nice thing for you to do Ryouichi."

Ai let go of Sakura's hand then, running forward and chasing after some nonvisible object.

"You'll hurt yourself dummy!" Ryouichi cried, taking a fast step forward to try and catch his sister before she got into too much trouble.

"Who's the dummy?"

The voice was slightly hoarse and out of breath, but it captured the attention of all three family members immediately.

"Sasuke-kun."

"Otousan."

"Otousan!"

Sasuke stood behind them, his form looking battered and tired with scratches and holes in his clothing, but there all the same. He was beside them in a second, wrapping his arms around Sakura and burying his face in her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of strawberries.

Sakura giggled and lightly pushed him away.

"You're home early." He grunted in reply, pulling her close again and giving her another small squeeze before he released her. He turned his attention to his children.

"Hey you two." Ai quickly ran into a hug while Ryouichi stayed mellower and tried not go around acting like his sister. However when Sasuke looked up at him after giving Ai some attention, he couldn't control himself anymore.

"I passed the exams!"

"That's great," Sasuke acknowledged, knowing how much this had meant to Ryouichi.

Ryouichi's eyes shined with pride like no other. Sakura smiled realizing just how much a few words of approval meant to Ryouichi when then came from Sasuke. Seeing how happy he was that his father returned early, made Sakura want to give Ryouichi more time with his father.

"Sasuke-kun, why don't you take Ryouichi home? I'm sure he has a lot to tell you about the exam and it will give you both time to get cleaned up before dinner." Sasuke gave her a confused look, but after a silent exchange between the husband and wife, he nodded his head.

"Alright," he agreed. Ryouichi had a look of delight etched on his face.

"I wanna go too!" Ai wailed.

"Ai, you and I are going to go pick up Itsuki."

"No, no, no, no!" she repeatedly cried, stomping her small foot onto the ground, before running toward Sasuke. "Otousan!" She immediately found a deadlock grip on his leg, not wanting him to leave her behind.

"Ai—"

"It's alright Sakura, she can come with us." Sasuke said. Bending down, he grasped his daughter and lifted her into the air. Obviously there would be no arguing with the little drama queen.

"I'm going to get Itsuki then. I'll see you in a little bit." She leaned forward and kissed Sasuke causing a mutter of 'ews' to come from her children. "Bye!" She turned and walked the opposite direction, but stopped and turned to see if Sasuke had everything under control.

"How did you get your dress dirty, Ai?"

"Mud!" she cutely said, happily clapping her hands together.

"She was being stupid! Playing in the mud and almost hurting herself." Ryouichi muttered.

"Don't call your sister stupid."

"...I'm sorry." Sasuke glanced down at his son, whose face was slightly solemn at getting reprehended by him. He raised his hand and placed it atop Ryouichi's head; it was a wordless comfort that made Ryouichi happier than any present ever could.

"I wan' play in mud! 'ets play more!"

"No." The two males answered at the same moment. Ai's face dropped into a sour face pout, her cheeks puffing out in childish anger. "No fair!" she cried.

Sakura laughed as the three figures disappeared toward their home.

Watching her husband interact with his son and daughter in such a playful and sweet manner brought a smile to Sakura's face; one that would not vanish from her face for the rest of the day.

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><p>Nothing else to say really.<p>

~Kyuu-chan


	8. Crimson Unity

**Title: **Crimson Unity  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Free Choice  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> Clan/Blood Limit  
><strong>Medium:<strong> Fanfiction  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T+  
><strong>Warning(s):<strong> A little suggestive, but still fine.  
><strong>Comments:<strong> This is it for SasuSaku Month for me. I still have plots and stories I had planned to write, but for now I'm going to put my focus back onto my chapter stories. At some point I may go back and write a few more SasuSaku Month plots, but for now this is it. So enjoy the last drabble! ;)

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><p><strong>XxX<strong> _SasuSaku_ _Month_ **XxX**

**XxX** _Halfkyuubikat_ **XxX**

...

..

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_Crimson Unity_

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><p>He was watching her again.<p>

It was the same, every single night he watched her. She would return home from the hospital exhausted, entering her small apartment alone, ready to just collapse as soon as she was inside. It would be only moments before she would sense his presence outside her home. She had learned to ignore him. After the first few fierce threats... the ones that were met with stoic expression, she realized how much easier it was to go on and ignore the feeling of his strong chakra pulsing right outside her window. To try and pretend that he was not once again taking silent guard over her, as if he had suddenly become her protector.

It was pathetic.

She had worked endlessly to become stronger, to protect herself from threats so that she wouldn't ever need someone to protect her again. After so many years of training, here she was being 'protected' by her ex-teammate once again.

The most pathetic of all was the fact that she couldn't get rid of him. Two weeks ago she had aimed a brutal punch to his chest that had caused him to slam into the ground. The pinkette had seen him in battle before; she had seen his reaction to threats. Denying that she was startled by his usual killer intent was an understatement. Yet, when he had stood after she had hit him there had been none of that raw feeling. He hadn't even looked angry, instead he was calm and had a gleam of understanding in his eyes.

He wasn't himself anymore.

He hadn't been himself since that day. Everyone else said that he was fine and that the little changes in his personality that they happened to see were nothing. They said that a near-death experience did that to people. She hadn't told anyone about his new stalker tendencies or what he had told her in the hospital a month ago. No one would have believed her if she did.

Because Sasuke wasn't supposed to do things like stalk old teammates, he was too cold to pay attention to people more than necessary.

Sasuke Uchiha, so talented and powerful, wasn't supposed to pay attention to poor, little Sakura Haruno.

She felt his presence beside her in an instant. There was no warning, no sound to his travels. One moment she sensed him outside on his perch and the next he there, standing silently. By some miracle her chakra didn't flare in defense nor did her breath hitch in shock. Instead she retained her slow breathing and kept her chakra flat, as if she were asleep.

His fingers brushed her hair softly out of her face, so softly, so kindly that his touch reminded her of a caress to a lover.

Panic filled her body, her chakra flared dramatically and the touch was gone, although he did not stray from his position beside her.

"Will you leave me alone already!" Sakura hissed as she scrambled to the other side of the bed, desperate to put herself as far away from his body as possible.

"Aa."

His reply was short and direct. It was a simple grunt that didn't tell her anything, didn't truly answer her question. Somehow though she managed to hear the unsaid "No, I won't."

"Damn it Sasuke! Get out of my room! Get out of my house—out!"

He didn't move; didn't follow the direction of her pointing finger and listen to her demand by exiting the house. Instead he continued to stare directly into emerald orbs while his eyes somehow managed to turn an even darker shade of black. His heated gaze unnerved her.

"You fucking asshole! I told you to get out!" She shouted, cheeks flushed in anger and embarrassment. Sasuke didn't move, didn't even shift his stance. With a growl of frustration she grabbed the nearest pillow and launched it toward his head with enough force to have knocked him off his feet if the projectile had met its mark. However, it uselessly slammed into the wall, feathers and fluff bursting out of the torn fabric.

She felt the air stir behind her as he moved at a ghostly, silent pace.

"Stop that!" She wailed, "Stop doing that!"

She turned and threw her arm forward, but the span of her arm did not reach Sasuke. He had moved out of her reach. Fury slammed into her at full throttle.

"Why won't you leave me alone? Why? It was so easy to pretend that I didn't exist a month ago! Why don't you just go back to that time? Kami knows that it suited us both loads better! Just act like you don't know me at all Sasuke!"

"I can't do that."

"You haven't even tried!"

"I can't." His voice was harsh and the hardened glare told her that these words were final.

But Sakura couldn't accept that answer. Her eyes began to water with bitter tears of anger and with a sudden force she launched herself at where Sasuke stood beside her bed. The rage in her veins commanded her to throttle him till he left her alone. She wanted to pound him into the dirt for causing her so much pain. However, her hands met empty air and with a sob of defeat Sakura slumped over the edge of the bed, too tired to continue fighting a battle that was never going to be won.

She heard Sasuke take a breath somewhere behind her, but she didn't turn to face him.

"W-Why?" Her question was met with silence. She gripped the sheets on her bed tighter.

"You can't do this to me Sasuke, you just can't... I spent so much time—I tried so hard to help you when you returned. I tried to be your friend. I wanted to be there for you!" She whipped her head to the side, anger resurfacing once again. Sasuke stood silently in the shadows. "But you pushed me away! You wouldn't treat me like a teammate, let alone a friend! You acted like you never met me before in your life! Do you know how much that hurt?"

Sasuke tensed and suddenly two red orbs glowed in the dark.

"You can't act like you suddenly care about me now!"

"You can't care about me—you can't! Not when it's that—that thing making you do it!"

She addressed it as if it was some sort of revolting creature, because that is what she generally thought of it as. This 'clan tradition' of his, that he seemed intent on following, was a disgusting thing to Sakura.

It was emergency treatment and that was all. She had O blood type and he needed a blood donor immediately. So she gave him hers so he wouldn't die in the battlefield. That was all. There was not supposed to be any other meaning than that.

But then, he was suddenly looking at her in longing. Acting like he treasured her, being forced to act that way by some stupid tradition of a clan that was nonexistent.

She hated this.

She didn't want someone to be forced to care for her when previously they could have thought less of her existence. This bullshit about his body being bonded to hers through blood was infuriating. She didn't want some pathetic form of obsession from him.

"I don't want you Sasuke!"

The words escape without her knowledge; the very words that she had been trying to convince herself of for so long.

Sasuke's red eyes narrowed almost immediately to her words and for the first time in the last month, he actually looked like he was angry with her. Her body instantly leaned away from his though, feeling a harsh growth in the level of his chakra.

But he didn't move. Instead he slowly closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. It was another moment before his eyes opened, only this time however they were back to their normal dark onyx color. When his chakra levels dropped, he was back to his calm and collected self.

In the same moment she noticed this, he had her pinned to the bed.

"You don't want me?" He whispered.

A chill ran down her spine that had no relation to fear.

His lips touched her chin, kissing the skin before he moved his mouth towards her ear lobe. He nibbled the skin before blowing a puff of air that caused her to flinch, her heartbeat picked up rapidly and she cursed the growing flush in her cheeks.

"Do you mean it when you say you want me to leave Sakura?" His lips suckled the skin of her neck and heat traveled down to the core of her body. "Do you really mean it? It's your choice. I'll let you choose, I'll listen this time. Do you want me to leave?"

Sakura could not answer; her body would not let her do anything else but gasp for air as every purposeful touch caused her to become more inflamed with desire.

"Tell me Sakura."

It could have been so easy to just say 'yes.' To tell him to leave and let her continue her life like she had learnt to live. It would be so much easier to live without Sasuke and his problems; to live without this strange blood unity. Life would be so simple.

But it would be incomplete. She wanted him. The thought of telling him to leave, and for him to actually listen, brought a rancid taste to the back of her throat.

"Sakura..." Sasuke leaned backward, moving as if he was going to stand up, and Sakura reacted instantly. For once her hand actually met its mark.

Her hand gripped his wrist tightly, unwilling to let the chance of him escaping occur.

"Don't leave!" She gasped.

His body stilled and he looked at her like she was some exotic species in a zoo. His gaping stare broke down Sakura's final barrier.

"I-I don't want you to leave! I never wanted you to leave!" She paused for a moment, her breath getting caught in her throat. "I-I never—I didn't want you to leave...but you still did. You left...you hurt me—you tried to kill me. And then when you come back...I didn't exist to you. I didn't matter, I never mattered..."

Sasuke moved suddenly and in a split second that her mind wasn't able to register she was crushed to his chest. His eyes met hers for a moment and then his face slowly lowered towards her own, slow enough to give her time to protest if she wanted. She didn't want to however.

His lips pressed against her softly, his movements trying to convey emotions that most would believe Sasuke wasn't capable of feeling.

It was a very sweet kiss.

When he pulled back, he whispered softly into her ear with a velvet smooth voice.

Her eyes blurred with tears at his words. Even if this new found interest in her was due to some ancient ritual, she could hear the sincerity. He was not saying this because of the unity. He was saying this because he could.

"I'm sorry."

His chest was warmer than she expected, his hold on her was much softer than she imagined, and being able to be wrapped in his arms while she drifted off to sleep made her heart beat wildly in her chest. She still clutched onto his wrist with her hand, a part of her was still afraid that she would wake up tomorrow alone if she didn't hold onto him. Sasuke didn't seem to mind though; his free hand was wrapped firmly around her waist, holding her to him.

She felt his pulse beneath the tips of her fingers and the steady rhythm that was much calmer than her own reminded Sakura that the reason he had a heartbeat was because of her.

His life was tied to her blood.

And for the first time, she realized she rather liked that.

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><p>A few more updates to go! Yay!<p>

~Kyuu-chan


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